Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Any of us who have had the privilege of delivering healthy children and who have had good childbirth experiences cannot but have sympathy for those women who underwent such a dreadful procedure.

I will provide some information on Judge Harding Clark's methodology in carrying out her role as the assessor to the scheme. The terms of reference informed Judge Harding Clark to draw together a team of medical experts in obstetrics, radiology, orthopaedic surgery, pelvic injury, urology and urogynaecology who advised her throughout the process. Hundreds of hours were spent going through each applicant's medical records. Each applicant received an individual, careful and fair assessment. Medical evidence was sought to explain delivery records and when claims could not be reconciled with facts, the applicant was examined by an orthopaedic surgeon or a gynaecologist. Some applicants were examined by several experts. When all efforts to obtain records failed, the scheme moved to seeking secondary proof of symphysiotomy by scar and radiology evidence. In 12 especially difficult applications, Judge Harding Clark held a discussion conference between her own medical team and the medical experts representing the women and a consensus was reached based on the medical facts in the cases.

It is probably cold comfort to the people represented by the Deputies Coppinger and Daly but I would remind them that there were three organisations advancing the cause of women who were scarred by symphysiotomy and the scheme was accepted by two out of those three organisations.

See this speech in context